Selectively heating a heating zone of a printing system

Abstract

A method includes identifying at least one of a type of a respective media to be printed on in the print zone and respective densities of portions of the image by an identification module. The method also includes independently adjusting a respective target curing temperature of each one of a plurality of heating modules disposed across the media transport path in a first direction to form the heating zone based on the at least one of the type of the respective media and the respective densities of the portions of the image identified by the identification module by a temperature adjustment module.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A printing system, comprising:
 a print zone; 
 a plurality of heating modules disposed across a heating zone in a first direction, each of the plurality of heating modules to selectively provide heat having a respective target curing temperature in the heating zone; 
 first and second media transport paths disposed through the print zone and the heating zone in a second direction, a first media transportable along the first media transport path by a media transport assembly, and a second media transportable by the media transport assembly along the second media transport path that is parallel to the first media transport path; and 
 a processor to:
 identify a first type of the first media and respective densities of portions of a first image prior to printing the first image on the first media; 
 independently adjust respective target curing temperatures of a first subset of the heating modules based on the identified first type of the first media and the respective densities of the portions of the first image; 
 identify a second type of the second media and respective densities of portions of a second image prior to printing the second image on the second media; 
 independently adjust respective target curing temperatures of a second subset of the heating modules based on the identified second type of the second media and the respective densities of the portions of the second image; and 
 cause simultaneous heating of the first subset of the heating modules and the second subset of the heating modules. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The printing system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is to independently adjust the respective target curing temperatures of the first subset of the heating modules based on the identified first type of the first media and the respective densities of the portions of the first image corresponding to regions of the first media on which the corresponding portions of the first image are to be printed. 
     
     
       3. The printing system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is to:
 cause printing of the portions of the first image on the first media with the heating modules of the first subset of the heating modules adjusted according to the respective target curing temperatures of the first subset of the heating modules. 
 
     
     
       4. The printing system of  claim 1 , wherein the first direction and the second direction are substantially perpendicular to each other. 
     
     
       5. The printing system of  claim 1 , further comprising;
 a printing fluid applicator to apply a printing fluid on the first media and the second media in the print zone to form the first image and the second image, the printing fluid applicator to move across the print zone across the first media and the second media in the first direction. 
 
     
     
       6. The printing system of  claim 1 , wherein the heating zone is formed across the first media transport path and the second media transport path. 
     
     
       7. The printing system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is to independently adjust the respective target curing temperatures of the first subset of the heating modules by:
 adjusting the target curing temperature of a first heating module to a first temperature in response to identifying a first density of a first portion of the first image from image data prior to printing the first image on the first media; and 
 adjusting the target curing temperature of a second heating module to a second temperature in response to identifying a second density of a second portion of the first image from the image data prior to printing the first image on the first media, the second temperature different from the first temperature, and the second density different from the first density. 
 
     
     
       8. The printing system of  claim 1 , further comprising;
 a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable on the processor to perform the identifying of the first type of the first media and the respective densities of the portions of the first image, the adjusting of the respective target curing temperatures of the first subset of the heating modules, the identifying of the second type of the second media and the respective densities of the portions of the second image, and the adjusting of the respective target curing temperatures of the second subset of the heating modules. 
 
     
     
       9. The printing system of  claim 1 , wherein heating modules of the first subset of the heating modules are disposed over the first media in the heating zone, and heating modules of the second subset of the heating modules are disposed over the second media in the heating zone. 
     
     
       10. A method of printing of a printing system, the method comprising:
 transporting a first media along a first media transport path disposed through a print zone in a second direction and subsequently through a heating zone by a media transport assembly; 
 transporting a second media along a second media transport path disposed through the print zone and the heating zone such that the second media transport path is parallel to the first media transport path; 
 printing a first image on the first media and a second image on the second media in the print zone by a printing fluid applicator; 
 identifying a first type of the first media and respective densities of portions of the first image from first image data prior to printing of the first image on the first media; 
 independently adjusting respective target curing temperatures of a first subset of heating modules disposed across the first media transport path in a first direction to form a first part of the heating zone based on the identified first type of the first media and the respective densities of the portions of the first image; 
 identifying a second type of the second media and respective densities of portions of the second image from second image data prior to printing of the second image on the second media; 
 independently adjusting respective target curing temperatures of a second subset of heating modules disposed across the second media transport path in the first direction to form a second part of the heating zone based on the identified second type of the second media and the respective densities of the portions of the second image; and 
 simultaneously heat the first subset of heating modules and the second subset of heating modules according to the respective target curing temperatures of the first and second subsets of heating modules. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising printing the first image on the first media with the first subset of heating modules adjusted according to the respective target curing temperatures of the first subset of heating modules. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the independently adjusting the respective target curing temperatures of the first subset of heating modules is based on the respective densities of the portions of the first image corresponding to regions of the first media on which the respective portions of the first image are to be printed. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising increasing a respective target curing temperature of a respective heating module in response to an increased density of a portion of the first image to be printed on a corresponding region of the first media to be heated by the respective heating module. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 10 , wherein independently adjusting the respective target curing temperatures of the first subset of heating modules comprises:
 adjusting the target curing temperature of a first heating module to a first temperature in response to identifying a first density of a first portion of the first image from the first image data prior to printing the first image on the first media; and 
 adjusting the target curing temperature of a second heating module to a second temperature in response to identifying a second density of a second portion of the first image from the first image data prior to printing the first image on the first media, the second temperature different from the first temperature, and the second density different from the first density. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 10 , wherein heating modules of the first subset of heating modules are disposed over the first media in the heating zone, and heating modules of the second subset of heating modules are disposed over the second media in the heating zone. 
     
     
       16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon to operate a printing system, the instructions are executable on a processor to:
 identify a first type of a first media and respective densities of portions of a first image from first image data prior to printing of the first image on the first media in a print zone; 
 identify a second type of a second media and respective densities of portions of a second image from second image data prior to printing of the second image on the second media in the print zone, wherein the first and second medias are transported along parallel transport paths; 
 independently adjust respective target curing temperatures of a first subset of heating modules disposed across the first media transport path to form a first part of a heating zone, the adjusting based on the identified first type of the first media and the respective densities of the portions of the first image; 
 independently adjust respective target curing temperatures of a second subset of heating modules disposed across the second media transport path to form a second part of the heating zone, based on the identified second type of the second media and the respective densities of the portions of the second image; and 
 cause simultaneous heating of the first subset of heating modules and the second subset of heating modules that are over the respective first media and the second media. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions are executable on the processor to:
 cause printing of the portions of the first image on the first media with the first subset heating modules adjusted according to the respective target curing temperatures of the first subset of heating modules. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein independently adjusting the respective target curing temperatures of the first subset of heating modules comprises:
 adjusting the target curing temperature of a first heating module to a first temperature in response to identifying a first density of a first portion of the first image from the first image data prior to printing the first image on the media; and 
 adjusting the target curing temperature of a second heating module to a second temperature in response to identifying a second density of a second portion of the second image from the second image data prior to printing the second image on the second media, the second temperature different from the first temperature, and the second density different from the first density.